Year over year, the number of email users has increased, making the use of email in both professional and private settings an obvious necessity. Writing emails to a company requires a balance of professionalism, clear writing, and making expected actions as straightforward as possible. 

Whether you're writing to a company for the first time or maintaining steady correspondence with multiple companies and fellow professionals, forming good habits is important.

A good first impression matters, especially if it's a cold email. Maintaining a professional demeanor in your email ensures a level of respect for both sender and recipient. Writing friendly, formal, and professional emails is a critical skill to develop. 

What are some tips for writing a professional email?

One of the great things about getting your emails to look professional is that you can save a lot of time on repetitive tasks. Your email platform, especially when using an AI-powered email solution like Superhuman, will let you save certain templates or Snippets, so you maintain consistent professionalism while personalizing your messages.

Let's break down the perfect email for business communication:

Check where you're sending from

Before you even start writing, check to make sure your email will be sent from your intended email address. This is a necessary step if you manage another address under your name, or are responsible for a general or shared inbox. Your email should include your name clearly displayed to the recipient in the "From" line.

Be clear in your subject line

Subject lines should let the recipient know what the email contains. The subject should be highly relevant to the body of the email and be attention-grabbing, so the recipient is eager to open it. 

Greet appropriately

Addressing your recipient by their name should be the first thing you do. If it's your first time corresponding with another business professional, you can address them directly with "Dear Mr. X" or "Dear Ms. Y." If you're addressing a general inbox, such as one for the department of a company, you can use greetings such as "Dear Team" or "Dear Client Services.” 

Not all greetings need to remain super formal. Depending on your industry, you may greet someone with "Hey, John!" or "Hello, John." In some contexts, more casual greetings may be received as warmer and more appropriate than formal ones.

Make an introduction

When emailing someone for the first time, it's a great idea to let the recipient know your name, your position at your company, and the purpose of your email. Keep your introduction concise — your explanations and details should be saved for the body paragraphs.

Maintain a professional tone

Make sure to maintain a professional tone throughout your email. Avoid slang and use consistent and correct grammar and spelling. 

While emojis can be a playful addition to some emails, and are commonplace in internal office chats, they should be used judiciously in a professional business setting.

Keep the body concise

In the email body, stick to the primary reason you're sending the message and avoid using filler words. 

Separate your points into paragraphs to keep your email clear and easy to understand. This chunks the information so the recipient can readily address each point.

Call to action

If you want the recipient to take specific action, make that clear.

You might want them to schedule a meeting, visit a webpage, reply with more information, or fill out a document. Tell them what action you'd like them to take, how, and when. 

Closing and signature

Sign off your email with"Best regards" or "Sincerely" — common sign-offs that are respectful and professional.

End your email with your full name, title, company, phone number, and social media links if appropriate. You can save time by creating an email signature and choosing to include it at the end of every draft email. For Outlook users, it's easy to automatically add a signature to every email.

Proofread

Look at your email with fresh eyes, as if it just came into your inbox. Is your email free of typos? Is it clear who you are, what your message is about, and why you're sending it? Are all relevant documents and links provided? Is your company name clear, whether in the email address, introduction, or email signature?

For particularly important emails, you might want to share your message with a colleague before sending it to the recipient. They can help catch errors and ensure that the email tone is professional.

Depending on your email application or host, you may be able to set a delay in email sending time. This tool can let you undo a send if you've mistakenly sent an email prematurely. This is possible in Outlook, Gmail, and Superhuman.

How to create a business email template

Templating your emails is a great way to save time when you need to send frequent similar messages. Email templates differ from some fully automated email campaigns because they can apply to a wide variety of situations but are still customizable. 

An email template can also help you and your team stay on the same page. Here are some key components of email templates:

Organize your email types

Email templates are typically designed to address recurring use cases such as job applications, a general sales inquiry, a follow-up email, or a meeting request. Figure out your top use cases, and then determine what email types are required. 

Some use cases will require multiple email types in sequence — for example, for a job application, you might identify a first contact, a follow-up requesting certain information, and finally, a request for a meeting.

Adjust your template before hitting send

Templates help save time and stay on the same page as your team, butrelying too heavily on templates can lead to confusion and make the recipient feel like they're not being heard. 

Check the details, and make sure you only include what matters for the recipient. It's important to reference previous conversations and address any specific questions. In some cases, this can mean removing unnecessary parts of your template, combining templates, or adding in new sections. AI email assistants can help. In particular, advanced features that can draft contextual replies in your own voice and tone, like Superhuman's Instant Reply, can streamline this step significantly. 

Mastering your email

Using the tips provided, you can write an effective email, no matter the business you're addressing. The key is to keep your tone and language professional yet personal. An effective template can help keep those professional habits front and center so you can focus on the subject line and purpose of the email. 

Superhuman is designed to eliminate inbox anxiety and get you to Inbox Zero. Get the fastest email experience ever made, and get back four hours every week. With Superhuman AI, you can simply jot down a few phrases, and watch them turn into a full email instantly. Fly through your inbox with Superhuman.